• APC fights back, warns lawmakers
•CD urges Tinubu to rein in Wike, as INC, IYC warn against escalation of hostilities
• HURIWA rejects impeachment plot
•It’s not corrective measure, it’s political misadventure, group alleges
Chuks Okocha, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
In renewed hostilities between the executive and legis-lative arms of the Rivers State government, the House of Assembly, yesterday, commenced fresh impeach-ment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, effective-ly halting his presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
It was the third time Fubara and Odu would be facing impeachment proceedings from the Assembly since coming to office in 2023. Attempts to impeach them in 2023 and 2025, amid political feuds between the gov-ernor and his predecessor and erstwhile political god-father, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had been halted by presidential intervention.
But Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Darlington Nwauju, rejected the resort to impeachment against the governor and his deputy, warning the Assembly to desist from the move.
Campaign for Democracy (CD) called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently caution Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, over his “immature and destabilising” political conduct in Rivers State.
ljaw National Congress (INC) and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) also warned politicians against political hostilities in Rivers State.
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) rejected the moves to impeach Fubara, describing it as reckless, unconstitutional and a grave danger to peace and democratic stability in the state.
Similarly, APC Progressive Mandate Group called for the immediate cessation of the impeachment proceedings, describing it as constitutionally flawed, politically motivated, and a direct affront to the peace accord personally brokered by Tinubu.
However, the lawmakers commenced the impeachment proceedings during plenary yesterday, televised live, over allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
The motion sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, and another member, mandating an investigation into the governor’s financial and administrative actions, was adopted by the Assembly led by Speaker, Martins Amaehwule.
The lawmakers alleged that the governor failed to submit the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework as required by law, claiming that he spent public funds without legislative appropriation.
They alleged that the actions amounted to grave violations of constitutional provisions and undermined the authority of the legislature.
Sometime in 2023, the lawmakers, believed to be loyal to Wike, had commenced impeachment process against Fubara, which action created serious tension in the state following the reaction from the governor’s camp. The crisis culminated in a six-month suspension of the governor, his deputy, and the Assembly by the president after declaring emergency rule in the state.
During yesterday’s deliberations, the members, who recently defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC, accused Fubara of “recalcitrant disobedience” to Tinubu.
They claimed that the president had intervened multiple times to broker peace in the state’s lingering political crisis. They alleged that the governor failed to honour resolutions reached.
Speaker of the Assembly, Amaewhule, while addressing the chamber, said the Assembly would not abdicate its constitutional responsibilities.
“We will follow due process to the letter. The law must take its full course,” Amaewhule declared, vowing that the impeachment proceedings would be pursued to their logical conclusion.
The speaker further cited a Supreme Court judgement, which he claimed indicted both the governor and his deputy, insisting that the unfolding crisis should not be framed as a personal conflict between Fubara and Wike.
“This is not about personalities. The governor is not fighting any individual; he is fighting against the constitution,” Amaewhule stated.
As part of the resolutions reached, the Assembly barred Fubara from presenting the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework and the 2026 budget until the conclusion of the probe into the alleged misconducts.
It was expected that the judiciary would commence investigation into the allegations in the coming days.
A Rivers State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, had in July 2025 issued an ex parte order barring Chief Judge of the state and Clerk of the House of Assembly from dealing with Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers loyal to Wike.
Justice Jumbo Stephen ordered that the chief judge, the clerk, and other defendants in the suit should “not act on any resolutions, articles of impeachment or others” from Amaewhule and 26 other pro-Wike lawmakers.
The judge granted the order in a suit marked PHC/2177/CS/2024 filed by the Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and Fubara.
Among residents of the state, reaction to the impeachment move ranged from expression deep concern about the implications of the Assembly’s action for governance, budgeting, and economic stability, to condemnation of the move as “the last kick of a dying horse”.
Critics of the lawmakers alleged that the impeachment move was a desperate attempt to assert relevance after failing to secure direct access to the president to press claims that the governor breached earlier political agreements.
Reacting on the development, the factional state publicity secretary of APC, Nwauju, advised the lawmakers to resist pressures from outside the Assembly to destablise the government of Fubara.
Nwauju, in a statement, titled, “Rivers APC rejects impeachment process against Gov Sim Fubara,” said the party would do everything in its power to ensure that the government of Rivers State, being an APC government, was not destabilised through fratricidal disagreements.
Nwauju stated, “We concede that the legislature is an independent arm in the tripod of governance, and the constitutional responsibilities of checks and balances are within their democratic purview.
“Our position as of today on this matter is that, we solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our governor and his deputy.
“It will be totally untenable for our party to keep quiet when an obvious hangover from strife that occurred within the PDP are allowed to resurface in our great party.
“It is important to say to Rivers people and Nigerians that since the latest threat of impeachment centres on the budget, may we remind ourselves that under the period of emergency rule, a budget was transmitted to the National Assembly by the President and Commander-in-Chief in May 2025 which was approved by the Senate on 25 June 2025 and subsequently by the House of Representatives on July 22, 2025 for a total sum of N1.485 trillion.
“Interestingly, this budget is for one year and should run until August 2026 and if the governor is comfortable with the composition of the said budget, he may elect not to present any supplementary budget. Besides, the constitution allows for a six-months spending window into the new fiscal year by a state governor.”
Nwauju called on the Assembly to immediately discontinue the impeachment process in order not to drag the image of APC in the mud and stifle the continuous progress and development of Rivers State.
CD to Tinubu: Rein in Wike, Halt Threat to Democracy in Rivers
Campaign for Democracy (CD) called on President Bola Tinubu to caution Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, over what it described as his “immature and destabilising” political conduct in Rivers State.
CD warned that Wike’s actions posed grave threat to democratic governance and national stability.
In a statement by its National President, Pastor Ifeanyi Odili, the group alleged that last year’s political crisis and bloodshed in Rivers State were traceable to Wike’s unguarded utterances and actions against Fubara. It added that the development culminated in the controversial suspension of the governor, the introduction of an interim administration, and his eventual reinstatement following presidential intervention.
According to CD, the chain of recent events has raised serious concerns about Wike’s influence in the state, his motivations, and the broader implications for Nigeria’s democracy.
The organisation urged Tinubu to “advise and warn” his minister to exercise restraint, maturity and respect for democratic norms.
It also stated that Wike’s public statements and political manoeuvres had the capacity to inflame tensions, incite violence, and erode public confidence in government institutions.
Part of the statement read, “Mr. Wike’s conduct, if unchecked, threatens democratic principles and stability in Rivers State.
“His actions and utterances give the impression of authoritarian tendencies that undermine democratic freedoms and the rule of law.”
CD accused the former Rivers State governor of making inflammatory statements capable of encouraging hatred and violence. It stressed that such rhetoric could further destabilise an already fragile political environment in the state.
INC, IYC Warn Against Escalation of Political Hostili-ties in Rivers
ljaw National Congress (INC) and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) warned politicians against political hostilities in Rivers State.
The Ijaw ethnic nationality urged Wike to desist from alleged hostilities and cease all acts and statements capable of destabilising the state.
In the statement jointly signed by the chairmen of INC, Eastern Zone, Comrade Abel Peterside, and IYC, Eastern Zone, Comrade Datolu Sukubo, at a press conference in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the groups called on the minister to allow the peace accord facilitated by Tinubu to take root in the interest of governance, democracy, and public order
They said they had observed with growing concern the increasingly confrontational posture adopted by Wike towards Fubara.
The groups said the escalation of political tension posed a significant threat to public peace, democratic order, and the stability of Rivers State
They stated, “The peace accord brokered by the president, Bola Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, 26 June, 2025, between former Governor Wike and Governor Fubara was widely welcomed as a necessary step towards reconciling warring factions and restoring harmony in the state.
“Regrettably, subsequent statements and activities attributed to Minister Wike have had the opposite effect, undermining the spirit and objectives of that agreement and reintroducing uncertainty into the political environment.”
The Ijaw ethnic nationality further stressed that rather than allowing the post-agreement phase to consolidate, the minister had chosen a path defined by hostility, public provocations, and political interference.
INC and IYC said regarding Wike, “His utterances portraying himself as the ultimate arbiter of political succession in Rivers State, and his insistence on dictating who may or may not contest future elections, are deeply inconsistent with democratic norms and are an affront to the sovereign will of the electorate.
“Particularly disturbing are reported demands that the governor dismiss senior officials – including the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, and the Chief of Staff, Hon. Edison Ehie, and reinstate specific traditional leadership appointments.
“Such demands constitute an unwarranted encroachment on the constitutional powers of a sitting governor and represent an attempt to personalise and monopolies the governance trajectory of Rivers State.”
HURIWA Rejects Rivers Impeachment Plot
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) rejected the renewed moves by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara, describing the threat as reckless, unconstitutional, and a grave danger to peace and democratic stability in the state.
HURIWA said the impeachment plot, reportedly driven by lawmakers, now APC members, was politically perverse and morally indefensible. It alleged that the legislators were acting on the prompting of a non-APC member, Wike.
The group warned that such a contradiction exposed the exercise as a proxy war rather than a constitutionally grounded oversight process.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA called on Tinubu to urgently intervene to stop what it described as a manufactured crisis. It insisted that the president, as leader of the ruling party and custodian of national stability, must not allow political manoeuvring to plunge Rivers State into avoidable turmoil.
HURIWA stressed that allowing an impeachment to proceed under such circumstances would embolden political lawlessness and weaken democratic institutions nationwide.
It urged the APC leadership to immediately issue a 24-hour ultimatum to the Assembly members to withdraw the impeachment threat or face disciplinary measures, including dismissal from the party, arguing that party discipline and constitutional order must prevail over factional interests and external interference.
The group maintained that the impeachment threat failed basic constitutional tests, stating that impeachment is a serious remedy reserved for proven gross misconduct and not a tool for political vendetta.
It said there had been no transparent, credible or lawful process establishing any impeachable offence against Fubara, warning that due process cannot be replaced by political theatrics without dire consequences for democracy and the rule of law.
HURIWA also appealed to Chief Judge of Rivers State to resist any pressure to endorse or facilitate an impeachment process that was tainted by controversy and lacked constitutional merit. It cautioned that the judiciary must remain a bulwark against political abuse rather than an instrument for legitimising it.
Impeachment Not corrective, It’s Political misadventure
APC Progressive Mandate Group called for the immediate cessation of impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, describ-ing it as constitutionally flawed, politically motivated, and a direct affront to the peace accord personally brokered by Tinubu.
In a statement issued by Ayodele Alonge, the group warned that the impeachment, already initiated in the Rivers State House of Assembly, was being conducted on a faulty legal line and must be suspended to prevent further destabilisation of the state.
The statement said, “The ongoing impeachment proceedings are fundamentally flawed and lack the constitutional and procedural grounding required for such a serious action.
“More than a legal misstep, this is an affront on the office of the president, who personally mediated the peace between Governor Fubara, Minister Nyesom Wike, and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“It undermines the painstakingly restored harmony that Nigerians witnessed last year.”
Impeachment proceedings were first initiated against Fubara by the Assembly in October 2023 over alleged gross misconduct. But it was dropped following a meeting called by Tinubu, where he tried to broker peace between the governor and Wike.
The Assembly commenced another impeachment process against the governor and his deputy in March 2025, which, however, ended after Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, suspending both the executive and legislative arms of the government for six months, and appointing a sole administrator for the state.
